HEIGHWAY: WE MUST IMPROVE OUR FOOTBALL

	Jimmy Rice 27 January 2007 Steve Heighway claims Liverpool under-18s will have to improve if they are to retain the Youth Cup following a narrow fifth-round victory over Reading on Friday night.
The manager was delighted with another clean sheet but believes his side could have treated the 1,000-plus Anfield crowd – as well as Rafa Benitez in the stand – to a better display of football en route to their 1-0 win. Heighway told liverpoolfc.tv: “I’m happy with the result but not the display. Reading were a free-kick team, very good on set-plays. Our back four dealt with that and were terrific. The goalkeeper Martin Hansen was tremendous too. He’s only 16-years-old and he handled it well, but the rest of the lads did not play well enough. “I was disappointed with our general play. We didn’t do what we believe in doing, which is getting the ball down, playing and passing. We haven’t done that yet. “I know it’s cup-tie football and it’s winner takes all, but our lads have got to pass the ball more and I’ve told them that in no uncertain terms. You wonder how far we’ll go if we don’t start passing the ball better.” Liverpool now face either Sheffield United or Middlesbrough away in the quarter-final. Heighway added: “We know Middlesbrough play good football, but we haven’t come across Sheffield United much. At least we’ve now got the chance to watch their game and get a picture of what we’ll face.” The victory over Reading ended on a sour note for left-winger Ray Putterill, who had to be taken for X-rays after being substituted on 85 minutes with a knock to his shin.